Senate Blocks Arctic Refuge Oil Drilling

The U.S. Senate today blocked a controversial provision of the 2006 Defense Department spending bill which would have allowed oil drilling on Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The amendment, offered by Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska would have authorized the potential production of up to 10 billion barrels of oil from Alaska’s northern coast.

According to this CNN report, Sen. Stevens contends that the oil is vital to national security and lessening America’s dependence on foreign oil. Senate Democrats and some moderate Republicans have long opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) due to the environmental risks involved.

The Defense Spending Authorization Bill, now stalled in the Senate, also provides for paying the salaries of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, funding for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction, the potential bird flu pandemic prevention program and programs to assist poor families in paying winter heating costs. [Learn more...]

Also See: Majority of Americans Oppose ANWR Drilling